


simply, love

by isilee



Category: The Memoirs of Lady Trent - Marie Brennan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-02-28
Packaged: 2019-03-11 09:29:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13521384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isilee/pseuds/isilee
Summary: Lieutenant Marton holds his breath. Strains his ears. If anyone were to come across him standing there, he knows, they would be extremely concerned about his impossibly wide eyes and the fingers he's digging into his own arm, but this is important. It'samazing.Dame Isabella Camherst is confessing her love to Suhail ibn Ramiz in the roomright behind him.He can't make a sound. They might remember that he can hear them.





	simply, love

"Good morning, Lieutenant," Captain Hendemore says with a cheerful smile. Marton returns the greeting rather warily. Hendemore has gained a reputation over the course of this assignment as a very violent sort of fellow, especially in defense of his sister; Marton thinks he has been respectful towards Dame Isabella, but the glint in Hendemore's eye is putting him on edge. He remembers the last time Hendemore had taken exception towards someone and slowly edges backwards; Marton doesn't trust in this man's good intentions.

"Right!" Hendemore claps his hands together. "So. Isabella and Tom have a meeting with someone later this morning, but unfortunately I have to talk to Tom about something right before that. I know you're assigned to help Isabella, so could you tell her Tom is going to be a bit late to the meeting?"

Marton stares at Hendemore blankly; it takes a second for him to comprehend the fact that the captain is asking him for a favor and not threatening him with bodily harm. "Um. Yes? Of course," He manages, still a bit terrified. It is very unlikely he would even accept a no for an answer if Marton said so, anyways; Captain Hendemore may not stand on ceremony like his sister, but he is just as intense. At this point Marton thinks it is a family trait. The expression on the captain's face is very gleeful and therefore unsettling to people who disliked getting socked in the jaw, like himself.

“Excellent!” Hendemore says jovially. He pats Marton on the back. “Thank you for cooperating!” He walks away, whistling.

Marton is so relieved that he didn’t get punched that it is only twenty minutes later that he stops to consider what sort of business Captain Hendemore might have with Wilker. He forgets it a moment later- Dame Isabella’s meeting should start soon, and he should already be waiting at the office.

…

Marton greets Hajj Suhail ibn Ramiz, knocking on the office door to inform Dame Isabella of his arrival. The man looks slightly nervous at what this meeting might entail; Marton can relate. Dame Isabella can be quite intimidating, and the planning of this trip has brought out enough determination in her to frighten any sane man. She has already steamrolled over a number of individuals who had been unenthusiastic about the details of her desert trip.

He suddenly remembers Hendemore’s favor when Dame Isabella asks after Wilker, and Marton, panicking, stumbles through something about him being caught outside. She looks rather unconvinced, so he is relieved when she does not pursue the question and instead ushers Hajj Suhail ibn Ramiz into her office.

Even with the door closed, Marton can hear their discussion quite clearly, but he doesn’t pay much attention to it at first. Security has been tightened since the fire, and everyone is on alert, even during the relatively risk-free daytime. Marton must focus on anything that could turn out to be a threat. But then a phrase catches his attention.

_“Then what if we were married?”_

Marton is suddenly paying very, very close attention to the discussion in the office. He is paying _all_ the attention. His head whips around so he can stare at the closed door with wide eyes.

He’s heard the rumors, of course. After properly meeting Dame Isabella he hadn’t paid them much mind. She was obviously very serious and knowledgeable about her work, not like what people had said at all, and so he hasn’t really listened to the stories about her professional conduct.

But he had heard about how Suhail ibn Ramiz had saved her from the Banu Safr, and had been one of her travelling companions in her famous voyage around the world. He knows enough about Dame Isabella herself to realize that if there was any unprofessional conduct between her and the Akhian man, it would be of the serious kind, not just some dalliance on the side.

As evident from the _marriage proposal_ happening right behind him.

Lieutenant Marton holds his breath. Strains his ears. If anyone were to come across him standing there, he knows, they would be extremely concerned about his impossibly wide eyes and the fingers he's digging into his own arm, but this is important. It's _amazing._

Dame Isabella Camherst is confessing her love to Suhail ibn Ramiz in the room _right behind him_.

He can't make a sound. They might remember that he can hear them.

There is a faint noise behind him. Finally, disbelievingly, _"...Did you just ask for my hand in marriage?"_

Marton stuffs a fist inside his mouth and bites down, hard. This isn't happening. He is not listening to Isabella Camherst, brilliant researcher and naturalist, propose to a man.

When Andrews had approached him to asking for a favor, he hadn’t been expecting _this_.

_"I do not want to see that place without you by my side. I want you to show me the ruins that inspired you, and I want you present for any discoveries I might make. Now, and always."_

Marton stops breathing. Presses his hands into his eyes until he sees flashes.

They are so _sweet_.

She goes on. Talks about freedom, and the joy of discovery; Suhail declares he would happily be disowned if it meant being with her. Marton thinks he might be dying. His heart is pounding so hard he can taste it. His muscles are cramping from holding as still as possible to keep quiet, but Marton does not want to miss anything.

When they leave, they hardly notice him. Dame Isabella is lit up, practically glowing with happiness. Suhail ibn Ramiz looks like all his dreams just came true. By then Marton has mustered up willpower from... somewhere- enough to fake composure until they leave his field of vision. Presumably they are planning on finding a judge who will marry them. Then he leans against a nearby wall, slightly dizzy from lack of oxygen, and grins madly up at the ceiling.

They're so in love. It's so romantic.

Wright eyes him strangely in the barracks that night. If Marton is to guess, it's because of the giddy grin that has been on his face since this morning, but he truly cannot bring himself to care about how strange he looks. He takes out his writing set to draft a letter to his mother.

He has got to retell this story perfectly. It does not deserve anything less.

**Author's Note:**

> ???? i think i fretted over this for about a month before i got up the courage to post this, but! thanks for reading!! let me know if i made any mistakes, i'll try to correct them


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